Having audio issues can be extremely frustrating, especially when you’re just trying to watch videos, listen to music, or attend a meeting. This could be caused by various sources, from settings errors to complex system malfunctions. It could be the physical and wireless connection, misconfiguration settings, or even an outdated or damaged audio adapter driver.
If you experience your monitor sound not working, whether it’s a baby foot monitor that won’t connect properly, you can perform various troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue quickly. Understanding the common causes and following a systematic troubleshooting approach can help you restore sound to your monitor in no time. This guide will provide you with different ways to troubleshoot and fix audio problems with your monitor.
Common Reasons Why Monitor Sound Is Not Working
There are various potential reasons why your monitor sound not working. Some of these causes can include:
- Incorrect volume settings
- Outdated or corrupted audio drivers
- Hardware issues with speakers or audio jacks
- Software conflicts
- BIOS settings
Step-by-Step Fixes for Monitor Sound Issues
If your monitor sound is not working, the following steps might help fix your issue:
- Check the audio ports for damage and clean the ports
Audio issues can occur if damage is caused to the audio cables or the audio ports on your monitor. You may experience problems such as your microphone stops working, or works intermittently, and the audio is choppy or distorted.
Audio ports are exposed to elements that may cause a build-up of dust or even physical damage. Use a can of compressed air to clean the ports if you see that the port or connector has dust or contaminants. Disconnect the audio cable before cleaning the ports with compressed air. Cleaning the ports with any type of cleaning solution, water, or a damp cloth can damage your audio ports permanently.
- Check cables, plugs, speakers, and headphone connections
Make sure your speakers or headphones are connected to your monitor. If you have built-in speakers, see to it that they are enabled in the BIOS settings. If you use an external audio device, ensure that they are charged and turned on, and the cables are connected properly. You can also try connecting your speaker or headphones to a different audio port.
- Check the volume and mute settings
If the audio is too low or muted, you won’t hear anything from your monitor. Click the volume icon located on the right side of the taskbar. It will open a slider, which you can slide to the right to increase the speaker volume, or you can use your keyboard’s mute, volume-down, and volume-up buttons if you have those controls.
- Make sure the correct output device is set up in Windows
If you have headphones and speakers attached to your monitor, no sound on your monitor might be because it’s being directed to the headphones. You can check it by opening your settings and searching for sound settings. You should see a list of all the output options, select the speakers.
- Close every open program one by one
If your monitor sound is not working, you can try closing your browsers, media players, and other apps with sound. Check if the sound is working after closing each app. This will isolate any program causing an audio issue.
- Run Microsoft Sound Troubleshooter
If you’re on Windows, try running Microsoft Sound Troubleshooter. Microsoft Windows has ‘troubleshooters’ for quick diagnosis and automatically resolves monitor problems, including audio issues.
How to run Windows Troubleshooting?
- Click Start and select Settings.
- Click Update and Security and select Troubleshoot
- Click Playing Audio and then click Run the troubleshooter
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the troubleshooting process.
If the issue persists, proceed to the next step.
- Try different audio formats
You can also try different audio formats to check your monitor’s sound.
- Type Control Panel in the search box on the taskbar.
- Select Hardware and Sound from the Control Panel, and then select Sound
- On the Playback tab, select and right-click Default Device, and then select Properties
- On the Advanced tab, under Default Format, change the setting, select OK, and then test your audio. If it doesn’t work, try changing the setting again.
- Update Audio Drivers and BIOS
Outdated or faulty drivers can cause audio issues. It can often fix audio playback issues caused by corrupt audio drivers. Device drivers and BIOS updates may contain feature enhancements that will help your system software update and be compatible with other system modules, and increase stability.
Here’s how to update your audio drivers:
- Click on the Start menu and select Device Manager
- Expand the Sound, video, and game controllers section
- Right-click on your audio device and select Update driver
- Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
Windows will search for and install the latest drivers.
Updating the following device drivers may resolve common audio issues:
- Audio driver
- Chipset Driver
- BIOS
- Restart your monitor
Try restarting your monitor. If your monitor sound is still not working, this will fix any lingering issues caused by background applications and programs.
When to Seek Professional Help
If none of the troubleshooting steps worked, you might need a little help. Contact your manufacturer for repairs if it’s still under warranty, or you can find a local shop that can diagnose and fix the problem for you.
Preventing Future Sound Problems
To prevent audio issues in the future, follow these steps:
- Regularly update your Audio Drivers
One of the most common reasons for having audio issues is outdated and malfunctioned drivers. Make sure your audio driver is up to date and update it if needed. Most systems have built-in tools that can automatically update drivers for you.
- Check hardware connections
Ensure that your speakers or headphones are connected well to your monitor. Check if they are plugged in correctly in their respective ports. Or if you’re using wireless speakers and headphones, make sure that they are paired with your monitor.
- Scan for malware and viruses
Regularly scan your monitor for malware or viruses, as they can disrupt normal system operations and your audio playback. Update your antivirus software to ensure that it detects viruses effectively.
Resolving audio issues with your monitor requires a thorough approach to identify and fix potential problems. You can restore sound functionality by checking your monitor settings, such as volume levels and connections, and updating your drivers.